North Korea and Russia have announced that they will resume their rail links, which have been suspended since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. A symbol of their rapprochement, but not only; Russia badly needs to facilitate logistics with its totalitarian neighbor.
We sometimes forget it, but Russia has a land border with North Korea: barely 19 kilometers, very close to the city of Vladivostok, and a single railway bridge. Closed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, it has just resumed service. The two countries announce the restoration of their train connections since this Saturday, November 05.
The announcement comes just two days after US intelligence again accused Pyongyang secretly delivering shells and missiles to Russia to support it in its war against Ukraine. Officially, there is no talk of such deliveries. Russia does not admit that it lacks material to the point of being obliged to supply itself from its North Korean ally, any more than it admits buy drones from iran.
On the other hand, the Russian embassy in Pyongyang recently explained to the RIA Novosti news agency, Russia would be interested in importing clothes and shoes made in North Korea. Since the start of the war, Russian imports of Western brands have indeed collapsed. Russia having practically no textile industry, she is forced to turn to one of her last allies, who will therefore now supply her with her clothes. In addition to its shells?
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